Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in marriage, ethnicity and health.

The population passed 280,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Newcastle upon Tyne increased by 8.0%, from just under 260,000 to 280,000.

The addition of just under 21,000 people means this area's population was the fastest-growing in the North East and increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Newcastle upon Tyne was home to, on average, 18 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it the North East's second-most densely-populated district.

Population density was higher than the average across the North East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the North East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Newcastle upon Tyne

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Newcastle upon Tyne decreased by three years, from 36 to 33 years.

This city had the lowest average age in the North East and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just under 16,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 3,000.

About 21% of people in Newcastle upon Tyne are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Newcastle upon Tyne by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne saw England's second-largest rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership.

In 2011, just under one in two (47%) people aged 16 and over in Newcastle upon Tyne said they were single, compared with 38% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 42% to 36%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership occurred in Lincoln (from 34% to 44%).

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the North East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

More people worked short hours

Newcastle upon Tyne saw England's second-largest rise in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week.

Every local authority area across the North East saw a rise in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week, as the regional average grew from 1.6% to 2.8%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 25 (4.3%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Newcastle upon Tyne said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.1% in 2001. The percentage that worked over 49 hours in a week decreased from 10% to 7.6%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week occurred in Newham (from 2.3% to 5.9%).

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Newcastle upon Tyne increased by 2.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Newcastle upon Tyne, the North East and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne saw England's third-largest rise in the proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In 2011, just over 9 in 10 (91%) in Newcastle upon Tyne reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities, compared with 90% in 2001. The percentage who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 3.8%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability occurred in Barking and Dagenham (from 90% to 91%) followed by Tower Hamlets (from 91% to 92%).

The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the North East

Percentage of usual residents that reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

More students

Newcastle upon Tyne saw England's third-largest rise in the proportion of students.

During this period, Newcastle upon Tyne overtook 18 local authority areas, including Runnymede and Portsmouth, to become the English local authority area with the fifth-highest percentage of students.

In 2011, just over 1 in 15 (6.8%) people aged 16 to 74 in Newcastle upon Tyne said they were in education, compared with 3.8% in 2001. The percentage that were employed remained close to 45%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of students occurred in Newham (from 4.3% to 8.4%) followed by Lincoln (from 3.7% to 7.0%).

The percentage of students in Newcastle upon Tyne increased by 3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Newcastle upon Tyne, the North East and England that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Newcastle upon Tyne

In 2011, 9.7% of the local population said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups. An increase from 5.1% in 2001 makes this the fastest-growing ethnic group in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the North East, the percentage of residents from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from 1.6% to 2.9%, while across England the percentage went from 5.2% to 8.0%.

Around 85% of people in Newcastle upon Tyne said they were from the White ethnic groups, down from 93% in 2001. About 1.8% said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from 0.4% 10 years prior.

The percentage of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) rose from 0.9% to 1.5% between the last two censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Newcastle upon Tyne increased by 4.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Newcastle upon Tyne by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing household dynamics

Newcastle upon Tyne saw the North East's largest fall in the proportion of one-person households.

In 2011, just over one in three (34%) households in Newcastle upon Tyne had only one person, compared with 35% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising an unmarried couple increased from 8.1% to 9.7%.

Across the region, Gateshead saw the next largest decrease in the proportion of one-person households (which remained close to 33%).

The percentage of households with only one person was higher than across the North East

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

Changes in family structure

The proportion of households with children fell in Newcastle upon Tyne, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the North East.

Every local authority area across the North East saw a fall in the proportion of households with children, as the regional average fell from 30% to 28%.

Across the North East, the proportion of households with children fell from 30% to 28% between the last two censuses, while the proportion in North Tyneside (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Newcastle upon Tyne) fell from 28% to 27%.

The proportion of households with children was lower than across the North East

Percentage of households with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Newcastle upon Tyne residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care decreased from 2.5% to 2.4% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.3%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across the North East, while the percentage of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care fell faster than anywhere else in the region

This area had the region’s lowest proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Newcastle upon Tyne remained close to 2.4%

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Newcastle upon Tyne by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

Newcastle upon Tyne saw the North East's third-largest fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

In 2011, just over 1 in 15 (6.8%) in Newcastle upon Tyne said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 12% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 65% to 80%.

Across the region, only Gateshead (from 13% to 8.0%) and County Durham (from 13% to 8.2%) saw a greater decrease in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across the North East saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 12% to 7.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Newcastle upon Tyne decreased by 5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Newcastle upon Tyne, the North East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Newcastle upon Tyne

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, 30% said they had no religion. An increase from 17% in 2001 makes this the fastest-growing religious group in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the North East, the percentage of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from 12% to 25%, while across England the percentage went from 16% to 27%.

Around 60% of those who disclosed their religion in Newcastle upon Tyne said they were Christian, down from 77% in 2001. About 0.5% said they were Sikh, down from 0.5% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation fell from 8.5% to 6.7% between the last two censuses.

In Newcastle upon Tyne, 6.7% chose not to disclose their religious affiliation. In North East the percentage was 6.5% and across England the percentage was 7.7%.

The population without a religion in Newcastle upon Tyne increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Newcastle upon Tyne by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Newcastle upon Tyne that rented privately increased from 12% to 19% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (30%) households lived in social housing, compared with 33% in 2001. While the percentage of Newcastle upon Tyne households that owned their home decreased from 53% to 49%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 14% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Newcastle upon Tyne increased by 7 percentage points

Percentage of households in Newcastle upon Tyne, the North East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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